Tag: bloggers

PM Nazif posts comment on Trotskyist blog!

Posted on By 3arabawy

PM Nazif is following Comrade Mostafa’s blog! The Daily News Egypt reports:

Egypt’s blogging community was stupefied to find a comment by Prime Minister Ahmad Nazif on a blog known for its opposition to the government.
One of the most heavily-criticized government officials in the blogsphere, Nazif confirmed that it was indeed he who posted the comment on “Ala Esm Masr” (In Egypt’s Name), a blog with a noticeably socialist tone run by Mustafa Mahmoud.
Since the post appeared on Aug. 5, the blog has witnessed an unprecedented level of activity.
In his comment, Prime Minister Nazif lauded the dialogue between youth in the blogosphere and the way they freely express their opinions on the political and economic issues facing Egypt.
“Opinions raised in the blogs can be useful in directing the country’s general policies [and] that is what encouraged me to follow and participate with you,” he said.
“You and your colleagues represent…a promising future with more democracy,” he added, addressing the writer of the blog.
Readers of the blog were stunned to find Nazif’s comment, and many were skeptical of the true identity of the person who made it.
One commenter who called themselves Gabhet El-Tahyees El-Sha’biya (The Public Nonsense Front) asked for proof that the comment was actually made by the prime minister. On the other hand, “anonymous” said that the writing style of the PM’s comment is similar to the one used by government officials, expressing satisfaction that their voices are being heard by the government.
Nazif confirmed his participation in the online discussion to Al-Masry Al-Youm, saying that he wanted to “clarify misunderstandings.”

Blogger remains detained without trial

Posted on By 3arabawy

Michaela Singer reports:

A student blogger has been detained for 15 days without trial after “turning himself in” to security.
Muhammad Rafat Bayoumi, mass communication student at Cairo University, was not at home when security raided his house around midnight on July 21.
Lawyers acting on behalf of Bayoumi told Daily News Egypt that security confiscated the student’s hard drive and took various political party pamphlets that the student had collected.
“Bayoumi was at the movies when security came to the house. They warned his father that if his son didn’t show up at State Security headquarters the following morning he would ‘experience the power of the police, and they would come back using force,’” said lawyer Sayid Abdel-Ghani.
According to a statement released by ‘The board for defense of Arab Students’ Rights’ security entered Bayoumi’s house to arrest him for alleged acts of public agitation and disturbing the peace, as well as calling for strikes.
“Security claimed he had called readers of his blog to launch public demonstrations to commemorate the July 23 revolution,” Waleed El-Masry, coordinator of The Committee for Arab Students’ Rights, told Daily News Egypt.
Bayoumi, author of personal blog ‘Al-Matabat,’ went to State Security headquarters the following day, where he was sent straight to Tora Prison.
Two days later he was presented to the public prosecution office, where he was given a 15-day detention.
On Aug. 4, after 15 days in prison, he was again presented to the public prosecution office, where his sentence was renewed for another 15 days.

MB blogger still detained, despite court release orders

Posted on By 3arabawy

Sarah Carr reports:

Mamdouh El-Mounir, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, who has spent over three months in detention in violation of court release orders, was issued another detention order on Saturday.
El-Mounir, MB member from the Delta town of Mahalla, is currently being held in the Wady El-Natroun prison.
On Monday July 21 the emergency state security public prosecution office in Tanta ordered that El-Mounir be released.
This is the second court order for the release of El-Mounir.
Rather than being released he was taken to the state security investigations office in Tanta where he remained until last Saturday, when he was informed that a detention order had again been issued against him.
Lawyer Zakaria Fathy told Daily News Egypt that El-Mounir was arrested on April 8 against the background of the violent clashes between local residents and security bodies which took place in the town on April 6.
“El-Mounir disappeared after his arrest for 16 days until he appeared in court in Mahalla on April 24,” Fathy said.
An administrative detention order was issued against El-Mounir in April despite the fact that the Tanta court ordered his release.
Egyptian rights groups say that the system of administrative detention instituted under the emergency law has created a parallel system of justice outside the jurisdiction of the ordinary courts.
They allege that tens of thousands of Egyptians are being held in administrative detention, sometimes for years, and frequently in violation of release orders issued by courts.
Fathy alleges that El-Mounir was tortured while in the custody of state security investigations.
“He had been severely tortured in the state security investigations office in Mahalla during the 16 days he had disappeared, including through the use of electric shocks,” he told Daily News Egypt.
Hundreds of Mahalla residents were arrested during, or after the clashes which occurred on the April 6 and several of those detained have alleged that they were tortured at the hands of state security investigations officers.
Muhammad Maree, who was interpreting for US student/journalist James Buck when he was arrested in Mahalla on April 10 and disappeared for 19 days after his removal from the Mahalla police station in which he was initially held.
He alleges that he was physically abused, threatened that he would be killed and kept in solitary confinement in the Mahalla state security investigations office during the 19 days in which he was missing.
Marei was detained for 90 days under a detention order until his release without charge this month.
Some of a group of 49 Mahalla residents facing trial on what lawyers say are trumped-up charges related to the events of the April 6, also allege that they were tortured while in police custody in Mahalla.